How to avail of PhilHealth Maternity Care Package (MCP)?

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), with its mandate to give financial risk protection and commitment to provide universal health insurance coverage to all Filipinos, has previously launched its Maternity Care Package (MCP) to all women who are about to give birth but are not members of PhilHealth.

PhilHealth has recently offered their Maternity Care Package (MCP) to all expectant mother who are not yet members, to immediately enrol in the National Health Insurance Program to be automatically eligible for the benefits.

To avail of the benefits, pregnant women who are not yet covered by PhilHealth are advised to do the following:

Submit a duly accomplished PhilHealth Member Registration Form

Submit any proof confirming pregnancy such as medical certificate from physician or midwife, laboratory/ultrasound result, or photocopy of their admission book.

Pay the corresponding annual premium contribution of Php 2,400 to any PhilHealth Local Health Insurance Office.

Included in the MCP are health services during antenatal period, normal delivery and post-partum period, including follow-up visits within 72 hours and one (1) week after delivery. The MCP is worth PhP6,500 if availed of in an accredited hospital and PhP8,000 when availed of in accredited birthing homes, maternity clinics, infirmaries or dispensaries. PhilHealth also stressed that women should have pre-natal consultations at the earliest time and requires at least four (4) pre-natal visits during the course of pregnancy to detect and manage danger signs and complications of pregnancy and reduce risk of perinatal death.

On the other hand, the Normal Spontaneous Delivery Package (NSD) covers essential health services for normal, low-risk vaginal deliveries and post-partum period. The package is worth PhP5,000 for in-hospital availment and PhP6,500 if availed of in accredited birthing homes, maternity clinics, infirmaries or dispensaries. Other deliveries such as Caesarean section, complicated vaginal deliveries such as breech extraction are also covered if done in accredited hospitals.

In addition, the newborn baby is entitled to the Newborn Care Package (NCP) which includes Newborn Screening Test, Newborn Hearing Test and provisions of essential newborn care. Total worth of the NCP is PhP1,750.00. PhilHealth emphasized however, that this privilege given to women about to give birth, shall only be availed of once without penalties. (PhilHealth)

Those who are already enrolled to PhilHealth should update their premium contributions. Women who are still minors should be enrolled as primary members regardless whether they are already qualified dependents or not. This is to ensure that their newborns shall also be covered by social health insurance.

The Pinoy MD is a personal blog of a 30-something physician in Mindanao. This blog is inteded to become a resource for medical students, medical practitioners and all doctors about everything related to the profession.